The present invention relates to apparatus for transporting unitary loads, such as material containing containers.
More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus for transporting unitary loads, the apparatus comprising transport means, such as a truck provided with gripping members for lifting one end of the unitary load from the surface, and separate auxiliary means provided with wheels for supporting the opposite end of the load during transport.
The transport of large unitary loads, such as containers, is extremely cumbersome, especially where the free or available space in the region of the unitary load is limited. Many containers have such large outer dimensions that transporting the same by lifting only one of their ends is not feasible.
One conventional technique by which large loads of this type have been moved is through the use of a so-called straddle truck or large moving crane provided with wheels which are spaced widely apart and having a body in which a free downwardly opening space is formed so that the truck can be driven over the load. However, a straddle truck is an expensive piece of equipment and, moreover, the wheels which are situated on respective sides of the load being lifted require so much space as to limit the manner in which the loads can be handled. For example, it is not possible using a straddle truck to deposit large containers in side-by-side relationship, either touching or slightly spaced from each other.
Other conventional arrangements for transporting containers include the use of transport means, such as a fork lift truck, in combination with a so-called float wagon. It is further known in the prior art to employ separable wheel units which are releasably attached to the bottom of a container at one of its ends which raises the container on the wheels of the unit. A typical design of this type of device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,694. However, the use of separable wheel units is somewhat awkward and it has not been possible to develop smoothly operating container transport systems using such separable wheel units.